


Succor

by duster



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gaster Blaster (Undertale), Angst, Body Horror, F/M, Gaster Blaster Sans, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Sans is aware of Resets, Vomiting, endgame is soriel but who knows when i'll get there, gb au where sans is just as confused as everyone else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-11 08:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13520901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duster/pseuds/duster
Summary: “What is going on, Sans?” she said tersely.He continued to chuckle. “I have no clue.” His laughter had a desperate note to it. “I don’t know what’s h-happening…I don’t-" his voice faltered and he realized that Toriel was wiping his cheeks again. Huh, was he crying?





	1. Seep

**Author's Note:**

> suc·cor  
> noun;  
> assistance and support in times of hardship and distress.

It was a feeling; a pain he couldn’t describe. It pulsed through his bones but converged on his soul, as though it was sending out shocks through his nonexistent nerves. He couldn't take the time to steady himself on the wall before he felt overwhelmed. Everything was burning and blue and he couldn’t feel, much less see.

An unhelpful thought reminded him that he was in a very public place. Not that that information was unhelpful, more that it was not registering as an issue at this moment in time. He tangled between wanting to run as far as he could and the urge to combust. Neither were very helpful at this point.

It was only seconds, but it felt like hours before his mind finally began to work. The shocks got pushed to the side as he concentrated on the action of breathing. Of course, he didn’t need it, but the repetition of the action allowed him to clear his mind. It wasn’t that much longer when he could open his eyes (not that it even occurred that he had shut them).

He crouched against a wall, putting his full weight against it. It was kind of damp, and there was what could have been raindrops speckled on the pavement. His eyesight was bleary but judging by the shapes that kept floating past his vision he was outside. A closer look placed him in an alleyway based on the garbage that he was 99% sure he was sitting among. A small part of him thought that was funny. The rest was pretty focused on the intense pain he was feeling.

He wanted to know why. Why was this happening? What was it? Had he done something to trigger this intense pressure throughout his body? Was this another way the world was going to spite him? But he didn’t let himself get any further wrapped up in those mysteries. He didn’t have the time. If he was in public, he needed to get out. It didn’t matter whether this was dangerous or not; he could not stand to see someone in the state he was currently in. Humans would figure he was attacking someone (they always jumped to conclusions) and monsters may recognize him. He didn’t let that idea linger.

After a moment of sorting through his thoughts, he began to process his next move. He wanted to shortcut his way out of this, but if it was a problem with his magic that would be risky. But he couldn’t stumble his way through the middle of the street like this.

His thoughts were getting scrambled and it was hard to think. The more he agonized over his situation the more he lost focus. It was like the feeling of fainting, of losing consciousness, but it felt more…natural. Like another state of being.

No, he hissed to himself, somehow managing to raise a hand and smack his skull. Focus. Focus.

The increase in anger sparked literal sprites of magic off of him – out of him. He became distracted by the light that was gathering in his eye. It was almost oozing. He reached up and touched it. Wet. He was dripping magic.

Another spark and his soul squeezed in his chest. Magic was gathering around him without his own control. For a moment, he stepped forward and the magic was pulling at him and the space around him. The time-stream ripped open, like a broken seam, and he was enveloped in a matter of moments.

It was nothing. The absence of anything at all. The space where he could transport himself to other potentials. It was also a place that was wild and uncontrolled.

His thoughts were raging, and circling and he wanted it all to stop. He couldn’t focus on his destination. He didn’t know what was going on and he was terrified. He needed something familiar.

It was that thought that shoved him out of the void and nothingness and into the current stream of time. It wasn’t as seamless (heh) as his shortcuts often were. He toppled face-first into the floor, the texture leading him to believe it was carpet. Through his usable eye he recognized this as the living room of his home. Relief only lingered for a moment before he became blindsided by a new kind of pain throughout his body. Not so much nerves as physical bones. Everything was aching.

He couldn’t move. There was nothing he could do. The magic dripped from his socket onto the carpet where he knew it would stain and his body had stopped functioning. If his mind could focus, he may have been able to notice that it felt as though his body was preparing for something. Instead he let his mind go, jumping from point to point with no firm grounding. It was like he was being unraveled. Unwritten.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, in the middle of the living area of his home. With his head not put on straight it could’ve been any amount of time. It must’ve been a decent amount of time, though, because he heard the door open.

Fear surged through his body with enough force to get him to drag himself up onto all fours. Coordination at this point was difficult. It was like his body was fighting the orders he was sending it. He seethed in anger at himself. He needed to move. He couldn’t let anyone see this. He shouldn’t make them worry; he shouldn’t be even more of a burden to them than he already was. But his body wouldn’t. Move.

He had his phalanges dug into the arm of the couch and his head resting on the arm. He felt like shit. It was like wading through molasses. Every movement was too much. It all felt wrong. Why was he feeling so uncomfortable in his own body? “Sans?” A voice was calling but it felt like he was underwater.

There was a loud noise and he flinched, instinctively curling in closer to the couch. He wasn’t sure, but it felt like both of his eyes were dripping now.

“Sans? Oh my god…” He felt hands – soft hands – envelop his own. One by one, his fingers detached from the couch (had he managed to rip the sofa?) and he turned over.

Toriel. Of course, it was her. If it had to be anyone to catch him in a foreign and terrifying moment it had to be her. He almost wished it was anyone else looking at him with such fierce worry on their face. But with her soft and gentle presence he couldn’t deny that she was already helping.

She was touching his skull and his hands and other places, but he couldn’t keep track. He was beginning to relate the feeling to drunkenness. He was aware, but not in his right mind. At least, that’s what he told himself as he latched onto Toriel’s hands when they left his.

“I’m going to be right back,” she told him, resting a paw on his cheek. “Stay put.” He laughed at that. Well, it was more of a loud exhale. As if he was going to go anywhere like this. But then again, he didn’t know if his magic would decide to teleport him places again.

Sans closed his eyes. It was hard to try and process sensory information at the same time as the pain he was receiving. True to her word, Toriel was back. She touched his shoulder and drew him out of his focused state. She was holding a cloth in one hand and her phone in the other. She focused on picking Sans up and placing him on the couch.

Her voice was a soft lull in the back of his mind. While he tried to tamp down the pain, he could hear her talking on the phone. Probably to Alphys. Or…Pap- his body jerked in an instant, his eyes lost their hazy sheen and he looked at Toriel.

“D-d-don’t,” he choked on the next word. Toriel waited as he closed his eyes and drew in another breath, trying to not let his frustration get away from him. “Don’t…t-tell P-pap-“ He grasped at her hand that held the phone and pulled at her arm.

“Sans…” Toriel sighed in sympathy. She took the cloth and cleaned beneath his eye sockets. “I’ve got Alphys on the phone. She’s already told him-“ Sans shook his head frantically. He retracted his hand as if she had burned him and clutched at his arms.

“Papyrus will help,” Toriel said as she kept a firm hold on his shoulder. “And he cares about you. It would hurt him to not be here.” A pathetic noise escaped him, startling them both. It sounded almost like a whine. What a useless and disgusting mess he was. He couldn’t take care of himself, couldn't function, pulled others into his problems and Papyrus…deserved better.

His back was aching from sitting stiff. He had the sudden desperate urge to run but he was restrained and lifted into Toriel's chest. He did his best to still himself as she carried him upstairs and into his bedroom. By the time his spine hit the bed he was only doing worse.

He could feel the magic overwhelm him, and he knew what was coming next.

“Tori-! B-bucket!” Her quick reaction time in grabbing the nearby trashcan, saving Sans’ bedding. She rubbed his back as he vomited excess magic, his hands gripping the can tight. Once he had nothing more to heave, he was left straining for some semblance of control. He rested his head on his hands that were still gripping the trashcan. He tried to reel in his spinning head and gut. Toriel pushed him away from the garbage so she could go throw it out, leaving him to stare down at his hands.

Wait. Since when did his hands look like claws? For a moment, he felt like he was in a dream. Those…weren’t his hands, were they? They couldn’t be…this wasn’t real.

“Alphys and Undyne will be arriving soon but Papyrus-“ She stopped. “Sans…your hands…” Apparently it was real. He let out an exhausted laugh. Toriel was beside him in a flash, holding his hands and looking at him in the eyes.

“What is going on, Sans?” she said tersely.

He continued to chuckle. “I have no clue.” His laughter had a desperate note to it. “I don’t know what’s h-happening…I don’t-" his voice faltered and he realized that Toriel was wiping his cheeks again. Huh, was he crying? She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her lap, leaning back to rest against the wall.

“It is going to be okay,” she said, her voice vibrating through his bones. “Stay with me, Sans.”

He wanted to speak, to assure her or tell a joke or _something_ but a sudden anxiety filled him to the brim and stole his metaphorical breath. He wanted to yell, to be angry and hit things and do something about it but he couldn’t. He was powerless against this illness. Whatever it was.

 _And when are you ever in control_ , a malicious thought reminded him.

His joints locked in place and his body went still. Then, an aching pain in a way it had never felt began to spread through his bones. Toriel pulled away from him, wondering if something was wrong. He used that as a chance to throw himself out of her grip. He landed on the bed, his newly formed claws digging into the sheets.

It was as if his thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind. Everything felt like instinct. The pain was taking over his rational thoughts. And now, his bones were screaming in pain. He felt his spine shift. It cracked audibly, and he howled in pain.

Toriel was on her feet in a flash. She grabbed at his arms and pulled them apart with all the strength she could muster. He writhed. All he desired was to get this pain away. And if he had to claw at his face to rid the sensation of stretching and molding then so be it.

She had his arms, but his legs were still free. He kicked and thrashed. Something was building inside of his chest. It was burning. He had to get it out. His claws ripped through his shirt, but by this point he figured his clothing was all but ruined. He was scratching at his ribs when another series of pops and snaps rang out along his legs and spine. Something whipped between his legs. He fumbled to stand despite Toriel’s hold on him and despite his limbs feeling so different.

He felt more than heard the door slam open and a voice rang in his skull. It jarred him and caused him to stumble against the bed. Toriel all but slammed his body into the bed, pinning him effectively. He managed to contain an angry noise that was rising in his throat.

“Al-ys, Un-d-, upst-s!” she was saying but it didn’t make sense. Nothing was making sense. Why was it all hurting so much, why was she stopping him? His teeth hurt in his mouth. It had to stretch to fit them all in. It hurt, oh god.

Another door slammed open and he shut his eyes to block out the noise. He knew they were talking above him, deciding what to do with him. He needed to go. But another set of hands added to the weight against his body and he was stuck and in pain. A hiss escaped his teeth, but he couldn’t do much else.

His body went still. The constraining arms and hands reduced his movements but not his frustration. And apparently, not the searing pain either. Now it had settled into a throbbing in his skull and his chest. He could feel his ribs being bent and changing inside him. The others above him could feel it too, based on their stiff reactions and shouts. And though he itched to escape, he was forced into stillness, waiting as his body stopped shifting.

His mouth – well it was more of a maw now, wasn’t it? – hung open and he felt some of the still spilling magic dribble over his formed fangs. Everything was still achy, but the fear had died down and left him with only exhaustion.

Something moved into his vision and a pair of hands left his body to move and clamp his jaws were shut. He released a growl and glared at the figure before him. Now that his eyes had adjusted he had no trouble seeing the blue scaled monster in front of him. He made a half-hearted attempt to shake off her hands, but she didn’t relent.

“Y- ar-t -onna -ry a-ing n-w, -lri-t?” it said to him. He didn’t understand what it was trying to communicate. He wasn’t a monster like it. Not that it mattered.

Well, maybe it did. If it meant that it would release his maw. But he wasn’t sure what it wanted so he fiercely retained eye contact. It didn’t seem to like that, turning to the side and calling for another yellow monster. It, too, stared at him as if expecting something. He didn’t like them staring at him, especially since he was so contained. It made him anxious.

His eyes darted from between the two monsters and he tried jostling out of the blue one’s grasp again. It adjusted a firmer grip on him and shoved him back a bit. It was only then that he noticed the height he had on this monster. For some reason, this surprised him enough to get shoved off the bed and onto the floor. He stumbled back and settled on all fours. Another thing that gave him pause.

The blue monster released it’s grip on him and he backed into the corner. He knew that if he tried anything at all, all three of these monsters would be on him.

They were communicating to each other, but he didn’t try to understand what they were saying. Instead, he settled on watching and gathering his thoughts. It wasn’t as easy as it would seem. He couldn’t remember much other than the pain, but these creatures seemed familiar in a way. And they were clearly talking about him.

The yellow one and the large one carried on a conversation while the blue one went downstairs. He figured this would be a good chance to bolt, but he was so tired. He wanted to sleep. His eyes began to drift shut and he slumped to the floor, readily giving into his exhaustion.


	2. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so as much as i'd love to update weekly that just isn't possible for me. i'm gonna do my best to have a chapter up once a month at least.
> 
> also i only realized recently that my username is v ominous for this fandom. whoops.
> 
> also ALSO if sans' size confuses u (i mean.. it confuses me lmao) the best reference i could find was [this lovely picture](https://blaiddraws.tumblr.com/post/152838471285/take-this-drawing-and-choke-on-it-foolish). i think he'd be a little bigger (as in take up an entire couch kinda big) but this is pretty damn close.

Toriel sat in her chair, overlooking Sans with a sorrowful expression. Now that he was asleep, and they had calmed down, she could finally take in the drastic change in her friend. Before, Toriel could still see her dear friend among the strange spikes and sharp teeth. Now it was hard to find any likeness in the creature before her. He was much larger than any four-legged dog she had seen, though he wouldn’t have any trouble with doorways. If he stood on all fours his head would reach her chest. But he was stocky and long, with a broad skull and shoulders.

He was so very different from the skeleton she knew.

Downstairs, Undyne and Alphys were briefing Papyrus and Frisk on the situation. She hoped they put their heads together and find out what exactly caused this and if there was a way to change him back.

But Toriel could hardly focus on the events of the last hour. She couldn’t get Sans’ face out of her mind when he said he didn’t know what was happening. It scared her to her very soul.

She looked at him now, unconscious in the corner of the room. He curled in on himself tightly, somehow making his much larger body a lot smaller. She was glad he was sleeping, at least. It was clear that he couldn’t understand them, but hopefully a breather and a rest would help him to remain calm. Toriel hoped beyond all hope that he would at least recognize them as friend rather than foe.

Agitated, she pulled herself out of her chair and grabbed the blanket, draping it over Sans’ still form. She wasn’t sure if it would comfort him at all, but the action soothed her. Like tucking in Frisk before bedtime.

The conversation seemed to be moving upstairs, from what Toriel could hear. She gave Sans a glance before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.

She was greeted by an indignant Undyne with Alphys at her side. Papyrus and Frisk countered them, looking like they were trying to reason something. At her entrance, both parties turned to her.

“Ah, Lady Toriel! Explain to Undyne that we wish to visit my brother!” Papyrus said.

At the same time Undyne yelled, “No! Tell them they _really_ shouldn’t be going in there now!”

Toriel sighed before pulling herself into her long-gone role of Queen.

“It would be best if we waited to see what Sans’ reaction to us will be when he has awakened. We will have to be very careful with the way we handle this.”

Papyrus and Frisk deflated. Papyrus especially looking lost, as if this action was the only thing he could imagine doing at the time.

Toriel descended the staircase as Alphys began to speak.

“T-Toriel’s right. This i-is a v-very delicate scenario th-that we can’t h-handle lightly.”

“Then what can we do?” Frisk’s small voice spoke up.

“We must discuss,” Toriel decided and gestured to the couches. “Come, this is a conversation to have seated.”

Toriel approached the couch, noting the deep claw marks in the arm and the blue and yellow splotches that adorned the floor. The blatant evidence of the matter at hand. As they sat down, a strange silence fell. They all wondered where to even begin.

“So, this isn’t something that’s happened before?” Undyne ventured, with apprehension.

Papyrus shook his head in silence.

“Sans told me he did not know what was happening,” Toriel said, folding her hands in her lap. “While he was still lucid he expressed his fear to me. I can safely say this is not something anyone has dealt with in the past.”

“Al, you’ve got something to say, yeah?” Undyne prompted her girlfriend.

“U-uh,” she clacked her claws together. “Y-yes. I-I think it might be p-possible to maybe get a r-reading from S-Sans’ m-magic?”

“A ‘reading’?” Toriel asked.

Alphys nodded. “Sans s-seemed to have b-been pr-producing excess a-amounts of magic an-and I th-think th-that would b-be a good place t-to start?”

“This wouldn’t…hurt him, would it?” Papyrus asked tentatively.

“N-no!” Alphys shook her head. “No, i-it’s just a-a-a matter of t-taking a swab of h-his magic. I th-think it was st-still dripping b-before h-he f-fell asleep?”

Toriel nodded. “Yes, though in smaller amounts. That would be a good thing to do now, doctor.”

Alphys shot up and rummaged through her bag left at the door, setting off speedily.

“I can assume you told these two the entirety of the situation, Undyne?” At Undyne’s nod of affirmation Toriel continued. “It would be best if we had at least two of us with him at all times. Someone who can subdue him and another as support, if necessary.” She added at Papyrus’ beginning of a protest. “He did not recognize any of us after he had…changed, but I hope that was the stress of the situation and not a lack of recognition. But we must expect the worst. Undyne, please accompany Alphys as she gets the swab?”

Undyne took no time at all and chased Alphys back up the stairs.

Toriel turned to the remaining two. “If you have any questions, now would be a good time.”

“He didn’t…remember any of you?” Papyrus’ voice seemed small.

Toriel softened her gaze. “At the time, no.”

Frisk held one of Papyrus’ hands and signed to him with the other, “there’s still hope!”

Papyrus immediately sat up straight. “Of course! Thank you, kind human! The Great Papyrus must always remember to hope, even in the bleakest of situations!”

Toriel smiled, her heart warming at the two determined individuals in front of her.

“What can we do to help?” Frisk signed.

“You, my dear, will need to do your homework. It would also not hurt to check up on Flowey.”

Frisk frowned. “Sans is more important-“

“And we will be focusing on helping him, yes,” Toriel cut them off. “But you still need to stay on top of your schooling.” Frisk turned away with a dejected look. Toriel sighed. “However, once you get your homework out of the way we can take some time to brainstorm some ideas together, if that is what you wish?”

Frisk grinned and nodded, grabbing their backpack and racing up to their room to start on their homework.

Papyrus smiled but despite the confident statement from earlier, he still appeared anxious.

“We will need to be patient,” she said quietly. “I understand your worries, but we will not be able to help Sans until we know more about the problem itself. In the meantime, would you like to help me with dinner?”

Papyrus glanced up the stairs with a sad look. Then he turned to Toriel and nodded, though still looking saddened. Toriel had hoped cooking would bring him out of his mind and able to focus on something else. It seemed he was still very distracted.

She grabbed a hold of his hand and guided him into the kitchen. It was odd, being in a kitchen with an uncharacteristically quiet Papyrus. She started grabbing the supplies needed for a favourite of his (and Sans), hoping it’d be a good comfort food for them all.

“I was thinking we could make some spaghetti casserole tonight, if that is all right with you?”

Papyrus brightened at that and began busying himself boiling water and getting some vegetables out of the fridge.

Toriel smiled fondly, though it turned into a frown only moments later. He threw himself into cooking with reckless abandon. She found herself recognizing the single-minded focus he had, and it dawned on her.

“Papyrus...this is not the first situation you have been in where you have been worried for Sans, is it?”

He stilled for a moment, the knife in his hand frozen and a troubled expression on his face. But only for a moment before he started again, his face once again shining. “It isn’t something I cannot handle, Miss Toriel!”

“That…is not what I am asking,” she responded.

“You do not need to worry about me! I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and my brother! In fact, I may be overqualified for this position!”

“You do not have to shoulder this on your own, Papyrus. I do not know what you two have been through, but you are not alone any longer; you do not have to carry the weight by yourself.”

“Miss Toriel,” Papyrus said as he pushed the chopped vegetables into the skillet of Toriel was preparing. “I appreciate your concern, but it is unnecessary. This is but a simple road bump in our lives. I am certain Sans will come out fine and we will go back to our normal lives immediately.”

The former Queen sighed internally, hearing her friend’s words but also another. He was scared but refused to admit it. Like another skeleton she knew.

They worked in silence, putting the final touches on the casserole. They had just placed it in the oven and set the timer when they heard Undyne shout from upstairs, “he’s awake!”

Toriel startled, causing her to pause. Papyrus did not. He vaulted up the stairs with an amount of strength and speed she had never seen and entered the bedroom. She followed much slower behind him. Even Frisk popped out of their room at the commotion, clutching Flowey’s pot in their hands.

“Oh, now what has the trashbag got himself into this time?” Flowey remarked, causing Frisk to give him a scolding look.

Once they had entered, it was clear the commotion was unnecessary. Sans was definitely awake, the blanket having fallen off him, and he curled up into the corner. It was clear he was trying ignore the loud noises and peering eyes of the monsters around him. The only thing they had accomplished so far was scare him.

Alphys was gathering up some devices and samples in containers while Undyne stood in front of Sans, a spear in her hand and a snarl on her face.

“Undyne!” Toriel said, not quite shouting but projecting her voice all the same. “That is unwarranted aggression. Please control your magic, there is no threat here.”

“It was just in case!” She snapped in response, reluctantly dispersing her spear and stepping back.

Papyrus cut between the two and rushed towards Sans but only took a few more steps before he froze. Toriel could see the indecision on his face. She longed to intercept him but she stayed back, knowing it wasn’t her place to come between the two brothers. Whatever the circumstances.

Sans was still. His body held so much tension, whether to fight or flee Toriel could not tell. His eye lights darted from figure to figure surrounding him, gauging something. But he seemed much calmer than before he fell unconscious.

And now Papyrus was in front of him, someone he hadn’t yet seen. He was fixated on this new figure. They were locked in a staring contest, each taking in information of the other. Sans had stopped growling somewhere in the midst of this meeting. Slowly, Papyrus knelt, now below Sans’ eye level. He did not make any more motions to approach and Toriel could see Sans reacted positively to that. Not enough to stop being tense, but enough that he didn’t seem as wary.

“Sans?” Papyrus offered.

The others were enraptured with this confrontation. Undyne wrapped an arm around Alphys and held her close. Frisk clutched at Toriel’s skirts, Flowey still in their hold with a curious look on his face. Toriel had her hands clasped tightly together. They all hoped something good would come of this. Though they were unsure of what to be hopeful towards, they hoped all the same.

Sans took a step forward, engaging in his curiosity. Toriel could see Papyrus holding in a breath while the creature that was Sans and at the same time had not approached him. Undyne started forward but Alphys held her back, urging her to wait.

Sans was easily larger than Papyrus with him kneeling. He had the body shape of a wolf with large digitigrade limbs and a long broad skull. His tail was much longer and extended far past his body, almost doubling his length. His fangs were larger and looked deadly, fitting oddly in his mouth which was split in the jaw. At the moment he lacked the blue and yellow discharge he had been expending through his mouth and eyes. There were still stains of it on the bone.

Papyrus remained still as Sans nosed the air around him. He brought his skull inches away from Papyrus’ own and stared hard. Papyrus did not flinch. Satisfied with that, he circled the other a few times all the while giving the others very serious and angry glares. Finally, he huffed and laid down with a thump, curling his large body around Papyrus’ kneeling form and closing his eye sockets.

There was a pause of complete silence which was then broken by a bark of laughter from Undyne.

“Fuhuhu, why am I not surprised?”

Sans opened an eye and let loose a very unhappy noise, like a growl but with the undertone of a hiss. Undyne was not deterred and kept laughing.

Papyrus was startled by the turn of events but recovered quickly. He carefully laid his hands on the spine of his brother in awe. He was engulfed in bone but seemed to find that not a bother. Instead, he uncurled his legs from under him and leaned back against his brother’s ribcage. Sans curled his tail tighter around Papyrus in response and sighed.

“You lazy bones,” he chided. “You just woke up and now you’re going back to sleep? I’ll let it go this time, just this once,” he finished with a yawn and closed his eyes.

Toriel smiled at the scene before her. She ushered the others out of the room and shut the door behind her, pausing for a moment to turn out the lights and close the blinds. They left the brothers to a well-earned rest.


	3. Boom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys so i'm trying real hard to be consistently writing but damn if that self-doubt isn't making it difficult. so i'm sorry in advance if things go off the wayside, i just get down on myself and then don't think it's worth trying. comments really help me keep going though, so if ya can that'd be great!!
> 
> i wish i could write longer chapters but that ain't happening haha sorry guys. hope you enjoy anyways??

“Well that sure was something,” Undyne commented once they gathered downstairs.

“Yes, I am very glad things turned out all right,” Toriel said. “They should be fine for a while longer now.”

“I b-better get going, n-now. These s-samples won’t t-test themselves!” Alphys said with a nervous chuckle, grabbing her bag.

“Oh! Yes, that is very important. Thank you for doing that.”

Alphys blushed. “It’s r-r-really no p-problem, y-y-your high- I mean! Uh, M-missus Toriel.”

“Thank you all the same,” she said warmly.

Alphys grew even more red and rushed to the door.

“Wait babe! I’ll go with you!” Undyne called and then turned to Toriel. “Is there anything else we should know before heading out?”

Toriel thought for a moment and then shook her head. “If there is anything I will text or call you. It would be best to see what tomorrow brings. We will see each other tomorrow, will we not?”

“Sure thing, teach! I’ll bring Alphys over after work. I’m thinking it’s gonna be a long night for her,” she glanced at Alphys with a worried gaze.

“Take care of yourselves,” Toriel said.

Undyne gave a nod and then shoved on her boots, picking up Alphys and her equipment in one swoop garnering a squeak from Alphys. Undyne gave Frisk and Toriel a salute goodbye and then they were off.

“Well,” Toriel sighed. “How far did you get on your homework, Frisk?”

Frisk gave a sheepish look.

“They weren’t even-“ Flowey started but was muffled by Frisk’s hand.

“Then we will work on that until dinner. I am thinking those two will be hungry when wake up, hm?”

Frisk giggled, running upstairs to get their homework. Toriel was left alone for a moment. The events of the day had left her quite exhausted, but she hadn’t noticed until everyone had left how tired she was.

“An early night tonight then, perhaps,” she told herself with a yawn. “I hope those boys can get some rest.”

 

* * *

 

Sure enough, back in Sans’ room they were asleep. Or, Papyrus was asleep. Sans remained alert, feigning sleep to prompt his charge to rest. He still wasn’t quite sure how to take this situation. Some things had come back to him, though in small amounts. And it frustrated him that he could not remember more. He knew this monster was important, but he could not remember why. And he recognized the smells of the others and of his room but could not piece together where he was. It grated on his nerves.

With a huff he laid his head on his claws. There wasn’t much for him to do so he watched and waited with uncharacteristic diligence. His head hurt too much to think much anyways. Perhaps it was best not to think at all.

Sans woke later without knowing he had even fallen asleep. He yawned, stretching his jaws and taking in his surroundings. The same familiar smells with the lack of the memories attached to them. But the largest missing piece was the absence of the one he had fallen asleep with.

With a jerk, he got to his feet, stumbling forward. The door was shut, and he growled at it in anger. A door would not stop him. He needed to make sure the other was safe.

His jaws lit with a blue glow and then split, opening a path straight to his magic. The magic shot out with an accompanying shriek and the door blew off its hinges. What was left of the door had a sizable hole that had melted with the heat of his magic.

The sight gave him pause. The magic felt different. But how could he know it was different if he didn’t know what it was like before? But the feeling lingered. He did is best to ignore it and stepped into the hallway.

And he was greeted by a small human child.

His mind flashed with a memory, but it was so brief he could only piece of a feeling of guilt and fear. Those feelings did not sit right with him. He growled, realizing this human was the cause of them. Something in him was telling him not to trust this child. And they held a flower in their hands. He knew without a doubt that he could not let that flower live.

He stepped forward. The child only stared at him with wide eyes, and a slight tremble in their hands.

 

* * *

 

Papyrus had only fallen asleep for a short amount of time. He did not require as much sleep as those around him, especially when he knew he had much better things to be doing. Toriel and Frisk were setting up their dinner and The Great Papyrus had to assist them.

It wasn’t particularly hard to extricate himself from Sans. He knew Sans had been keeping watch over him while Papyrus slept (as was typical of Sans), but he also knew that Sans could not stay awake for long. So, he had slept for a time and then awoken to carefully leave his now large sleeping brother to rest as much as he needed. It helped that Sans could sleep through practically anything. He shut the door softly behind him and hastened his pace to rejoin Toriel and Frisk.

Downstairs, Toriel and had started getting ready for dinner. Papyrus happily set the table (after bickering with Toriel over what to do with Sans’ food. A plate or a bowl? On the table or the floor?) and did their best to keep up a sense of normalcy.

Papyrus was going to head upstairs to wake his brother, but Toriel insisted he wait and let him sleep. Papyrus conceded, knowing it was likely for the best. But he had forgotten that things were different now. He had forgotten that Sans was an entirely different monster.

The bang resounded through the entire house.

Papyrus immediately had a bone at the ready and Toriel summoned fire, prepared for an imminent threat. It took a moment before they realized what it had to have been.

He was up the stairs in an instant and came upon a terrified child and a furious beast. Sans was crouched low, with what remained of the door collapsed on the other side of the hallway. Frisk was visibly frightened but signed something with a shaking hand. Papyrus couldn’t catch what they were saying as they were faced towards Sans. Flowey was hissing in their grasp.

“If I wasn’t stuck in this pot-“

The thought was left unfinished as Papyrus, knowing he had seconds to resolve the situation, stepped in front of Frisk and Flowey. He held his bone weapon in front of him as a warning. Despite removing Frisk from Sans’ line of sight, he still growled.

“Sans?” Papyrus ventured tentatively. “It’s just Frisk. It’s just Frisk and me and Flowey.”

Toriel appeared on the staircase, immediately gasping at the scene before her. Papyrus figured she was battling with her instincts, wanting to snatch her child away from this awful situation. But he could not pay her any mind. He needed to focus on Sans.

In that moment, Sans darted forward jaws wide to snap at Frisk hiding behind his legs. Papyrus shoved his bone between, forcing Sans to bite the bone instead. He growled around the bone in anger, refusing to let go.

Papyrus cleared his throat, projecting every ounce of Royal Guardsman into his voice. “Sans. Stand down. Please.”

Sans made eye contact with him, still gnawing on the bone. The glowing blue orbs bore into him with such a ferocity he had ever seen. Not even in Undyne. Sans was set in his anger. He was always stubborn in that way.

With a final sigh, Papyrus summoned another bone and shoved him back. Sans stumbled, allowing time for Papyrus to gently push Frisk into their mother's arms.

Not to be foiled again, Sans leapt forward, hoping to catch something of Frisk as they ran. Papyrus slammed into him from the side, pushing him up against the wall.

Papyrus knew Sans was much heavier and stronger than him in this state. There was only so much Papyrus could do with only raw strength alone. So, with a ting of magic Papyrus turned Sans’ soul blue and forced him to the ground.

He was pinned. Papyrus breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way Sans could break off his spell just by struggling. He kept one arm up to pin Sans with magic and wiped his brow with the other. But Sans wasn’t done.

"Papyrus-!" Toriel shouted.

A blue glow rose from Sans’ jaws. They were opening, and if the door was an example of what Sans could do then Papyrus needed to move.

Still keeping the magic up, Papyrus lunged towards Sans and yanked his head up. He roughly wrapped his free arm around Sans’ jaw, forcing it shut between his shoulder and forearm. He was caught, but he was still trying to break off the spell with sheer willpower.

“Toriel!” Papyrus yelled. “I need some help!”

“What do you need?”

“Rope!” He said as Sans jerked powerfully against him, knocking the air from him. “And lots of it! Hurry!”

Papyrus could hardly hear her as she and Frisk darted downstairs. He focused entirely on keeping Sans pinned with his arm and his magic. Only seconds later did Sans stop completely, stilling in his grip. Papyrus frowned but did not let down his guard.

Toriel stomped back up the stairs, rope in her arms. "What should I do?"

“We need to shut his jaw,” Papyrus said, voice grim. He hated to do something like this. Muzzling any animal, let alone a sentient being, was cruel. But Sans was proving to be a threat and they needed to do what they could to stop him.

For her part, Toriel did not question it. She crouched down and methodically began wrapping the rope around Sans’ large snout. Papyrus had to let go for her to be able to wrap the rope around, but the moment he let go Sans snapped his teeth, barely missing Toriel’s hands.

Papyrus shoved his muzzle hard into the ground, pressing both hands against him.

“Do it!” he said urgently.

Shaken but determined, Toriel once again looped the rope around. Papyrus directed her into a knot he knew would hold and eventually Sans was released.

All three of them were exhausted. Sans tested the strength of the knot and it held. He didn’t seem to have much energy to do anything else.

“For the moment, that will hold,” Papyrus said as he slumped against the wall.

Toriel nodded, kneeling beside Sans with a sorrowful expression. “I wish we did not have to do this.”

Papyrus took in the sight of his brother, in a different form, tied up and run down on the ground. This was all so foreign to him. He couldn’t imagine how Sans must feel.

“We have to,” he said finally. “Thank you for helping.”

Toriel noticed the wreck that remained of the door and sighed. A smile quirked her lips. “Guess he didn’t find it a-door-able.”

Papyrus squawked in indignation, though truthfully, he was glad to find some normalcy in this situation.

“Miss Toriel this is not the time!”

“What you can’t handle it?”

Toriel giggled, seeing Papyrus’ dramatic distaste of the word play. It was then that they both felt acutely aware of a certain presence with them, joking along. Toriel paused, uncertain of their situation.

Papyrus cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the indecision in the air. “I will watch over Sans while you eat dinner.”

Toriel frowned. “Papyrus, you need to eat as well-“

“Someone needs to watch him.” He then gestured to the door. “I would rather we not have a repeat of today.”

Her shoulders sagged with the weight of the dire circumstance. “You are right,” she said as she turned to leave.

“But, if you would be so kind,” Papyrus blurted out finally, stopping Toriel in her tracks. “Could you perhaps bring a plate up for me? And one for Sans. I am not sure if he needs to eat in this form, but it would not do to leave him magically exhausted.”

“Of course,” Toriel smiled.

Papyrus waited until Toriel was gone before sagging in exhaustion himself. He glanced at Sans, still prone on the ground and looking downright miserable. With a sigh, he began to maneuver Sans back into his bedroom before Sans stood up and walked himself in. He collapsed with a huff on the ground, content to not move any longer.

“I knew you were a handful, but this is getting ridiculous, Sans,” he said aloud, forcing some pep into his voice. He leaned against the wall and slid down with a thump. “We need to teach you some real manners.”

Sans did not respond. He felt a piercing sting of loneliness. The absence of his brother, maybe not physically, but mentally, was draining him. His brother was such a source of support for him and now he needed it more than ever. He would do anything to get his brother back to his normal self.

Toriel came up a few minutes later with two steaming plates of spaghetti lasagna. The initial excitement of one of his favourite meals was lost. Overshadowed by uncertainty and exhaustion. But he thanked Toriel and ate it anyway.

He decided to call in to respective workplaces to get the day off for a ‘family emergency'. It was a Friday, so they would have a long weekend to hopefully iron out this problem. He hoped that tomorrow would be a better day.


	4. Rhythm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am extremely sorry!! I meant to have this out on Sunday but it kept getting pushed back by family things and then getting called in last minute to work. But I promised to have a chapter out once a month and I'm going to do my best to get another one out by the end of May (if my schedule works with me this time...)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!! And thank you for all the wonderful comments from the last chapter!!! It was very encouraging.

Alphys pushed her glasses up and rubbed at her eyes. It was late. 4am in the morning late. She had been at this for hours now, staring at her computer screen in the dark of her room with only a small lamp to ease her tired eyes.

But she was getting somewhere. And she knew it. The samples she had taken from Sans’ magic weren’t enough to pinpoint what the problem was, but she was beginning to fill in the gaps.

It didn’t help that Sans’ original medical records seemed to have been buried deep in the Underground’s database. The hours that it took to find them was worth it though. She was very carefully comparing the records with the new ones she gathered from his magic. Her eyes widened at the drastic differences. His magic was through the roof! No wonder he was literally dripping it in excess.

She was startled out of her findings by a knock at her door.

“C-Come in!”

Undyne opened the door, letting in a blinding ray of light from the hallway. Alphys shielded her eyes, trying to adjust to the absence of the darkness she had been living in for over ten hours.

Undyne frowned. “You really need to learn to turn on the light,” she said as she flicked the light switch.

Alphys blinked hastily. “I-It helps me focus.”

“You know what else helps you focus?” Undyne said with a smirk. “An intense sleeping session!”

“Undyne…” Alphys whined, gesturing to her computer. “This is in-incredibly important! I n-need to-“

“You need to sleep,” Undyne countered. “Your scientific discoveries, or whatever, will still be there in the morning.”

“But Sans-“

“Is most likely sleeping like the lazy ass he is. He isn’t going anywhere. And you’ll probably fall asleep on your keyboard. Again.”

Alphys blushed. “Y-yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I’m always right!” Undyne hollered with a fist pump. “C’mon babe, let’s get some rest.”

Alphys yawned and hopped out of her chair, following Undyne to bed. Her mind was still turning. She’d be up in a few hours anyway, unable to sleep. This way Undyne will at least stop worrying.

She shut the door behind her, cutting off the last remaining source of light. The glow from the computer screen shone out across the room, enough to be a beacon to its contents. The only open document were the medical readouts, placed side by side. On the most recent readout the ‘Magic Levels’ category was highlighted, and a note ran alongside it.

It read:

‘Magic exceeds the recommended output of a monster. May require immediate suppression.’

 

* * *

 

The night went about as well as Papyrus could expect. He prompted Sans multiple times to eat some food but each time he would turn his head away. At one point he untied the rope just to make sure he could eat if he wanted to. But Sans refused.

Disheartened, both Sans and Papyrus slept uneasily and fitfully. Papyrus woke up once to see Sans simply staring at the wall. He hated that he couldn’t watch him constantly through the night, but it seemed like Sans was not keen on attempting anything while Papyrus slept.

Thankfully, Papyrus set an alarm for 5am so he could be up bright and early. He learned from his past mistakes and decided to do his typical morning routine but with periodical checks on Sans.

Toriel, Frisk and Flowey woke up for school at 7am, being greeted by a smiling Papyrus and pancakes (the pancakes even had fruit on it in the shape of a smile). Both Frisk and Toriel appeared rundown but reassured Papyrus that they were fine to go to school. Flowey appeared to be disgruntled but the shimmer of excitement was hard to hide. Papyrus wondered what he was excited about. Frisk made a particularly determined effort to convince him that they did not hold anything against Sans for the night before. They also told him they would be much more careful in the future.

With the house empty, Papyrus cleaned. He still checked on Sans, but it seemed that he would never wake up earlier than 10am, even while being in a different form. So, he cleaned and cleaned, hoping to distract himself from the many new things he found he could not control. His phone was turned up all the way, patiently waiting for any news from either Alphys or Undyne but he did not want to think about what they might tell him.

He felt so out of his element. With Sans there were a few stable things that he could expect. Lazy work ethic, carefree attitude, an obsession with unhealthy food and endless puns. He knew how to handle all four of those things. But he was left with a very different form of his brother. One that could not be defined by a few characteristics.

It didn’t help that no one knew what was going on. He couldn’t even chalk it up to one of Sans’ secrets that he tried to keep from Papyrus. And they wouldn’t know anything more until Sans changed back.

If, his mind helpfully amended. He tried to shake that intrusive thought from his head, but it had latched on and refused to let go. His cleaning became more aggressive as he tried to get his mind to think of anything at all. Anything to get out the horrid thought that Sans would never be the same again.

Finally, his thought process was broken by a whine. He startled, almost tripping over the dustpan he had been using. His body begged him to race up and help Sans, but his mind was still hesitant based on what had happened last night. Who knew if Sans would snap again.

He decided to cautiously set his broom down and ascend the stairs. When he peered into the bedroom he found Sans clawing at the rope that was tying his mouth shut. His claws were scrapping against the bone, leaving faint, but noticeable, scratches in their wake.

 

Caution was thrown out the window as Papyrus bolted forward, pulling Sans’ claws from his head. Sans did not put up a fight as Papyrus raised a hand to his muzzle, taking in the new wounds.

“Oh, Sans,” Papyrus said softly. His hands glowed green as he funneled healing magic into the wounds, speeding up the recovery process. Thankfully, they weren’t deep cuts and they vanished over time.

Sans whined again, his head on the ground, still muzzled and looking oh so sad. The stance was such a drastic change from the one he had taken yesterday, leaving Papyrus surprised but pleased.

He gave Sans a good look, weighing a decision in his mind. With a decisive nod he reached towards Sans abruptly, causing Sans to pull back in shock.

“Don’t worry,” Papyrus soothed, kneeling next to him “I’m just going to take the rope off.”

Sans didn’t show any understanding but didn’t react to Papyrus pulling his head up and quickly undoing the rope from his muzzle. He tossed the rope to the side in disdain, hoping to never have to use it again. But he was resigned to the fact that it may be necessary in the future.

As soon as it was off, Sans made a chirping noise and shoved his head into Papyrus’ chest, almost bowling him over. Papyrus laughed, unsure of how to react to the new side of this creature he was seeing. He rubbed his brother’s head affectionately.

“Now, where was this pleasant creature when Frisk was around?” He wondered out loud. “What’s the difference between today and yesterday?”

He knew the answer before he even spoke it aloud. Sans was always most comfortable with Papyrus. That was a fact everyone knew. But he was amenable to everyone. It didn’t make much sense why he was set off when he saw Frisk. At least he could state that, generally, his brother’s feelings towards his friends and family carried through into this other form. And if that were true…it would mean Sans was without a doubt still in there, not taken over by some outside force.

The thought had him almost giddy with excitement. Hope blossomed in his chest and he let it free. He did his best to wrap his arms around Sans and laughed. Sans huffed loudly but didn’t protest, almost laying limp in his arms.

After a moment of sitting in his wonderful new discovery, he released Sans. Sans sat down on his rump, almost modeling a dog if not for the menacing height he had and the fact he was made of bone.

“Alright!” Papyrus declared to his audience of one. “We have lots of work to do today, Sans! Plenty more puzzles to work out and challenges to overcome. Are you up for the task?” Sans chirped in response. “Excellent! Now let’s get going!”

With energy and excitement once again in his system, Papyrus schemed. A good kind of scheming of course! He knew he needed to find out exactly how much Sans understood what they were saying and if he could be ‘trained’ to respond to questions. There was clearly a language barrier of some kind, but Sans hadn’t lost the entirety of his brain to the creature he had become. There were some things that broke through that barrier. And Papyrus intended to figure out the flexibility of that barrier.

Throughout the day, Papyrus observed Sans and made meticulous notes. He made lunch for them both, intending on feeding Sans to heal him up some but Sans did not take a single bite of his wonderfully made sandwich. He nosed it a few times but let it be, clearly not interested. After that failure, Papyrus began to test him. He attempted to get a rise from Sans but the most his brother would do in response to a physical or magical attack was roll over to avoid damage. Typical.

He was content with sleeping the day away, annoying for Papyrus, but still encouraging that his habits remained similar. The rest of the day Papyrus began attempting to fix the door Sans had blown off with…mixed results. Sans watched on from the bed in his room.

After another nail gone rogue, Papyrus decided to take a break. Not give up! He refused to give up. But the wooden planks he had found weren’t cooperating and the nails would not let him hammer them in properly.

He set down his tools, taking a second to admire his work. The planks were bulky and only nailed in on one side, causing the other to hang limply. The nails that were in were bent beyond hope of getting them all the way through. The hole was still as large as ever and his repairs didn’t seem to make it look any better.

Without Sans to encourage him, he wasn’t sure he was doing it right at all. It left him feeling a more than a little downtrodden. But he would call Undyne over and they could salvage what was left. Undyne always had the best way to fix things.

Sans’ growling alerted Papyrus. Seconds later the door opened. Papyrus straightened. Toriel, Frisk and Flowey must be home from school.

“Papyrus?” Toriel’s voice called to them.

He carefully kept his eyesight on Sans as he replied, “welcome home! We’re just upstairs but Sans is a little agitated, so it would beneficial if you abstained from the upstairs.”

“Of course,” Toriel answered. “Let me know if you need an extra pair of hands.”

Sans was standing now, still growling fiercely. Papyrus approached him cautiously, careful to stay within Sans’ line of vision. He reached out, gauging Sans’ reaction for any intent to attack. He still growled but made no move to attack him. Papyrus then placed a hand on him, keeping contact as he began pulling Sans into a lying position, ending with Sans resting his head in Papyrus’ arms.

The position was reminiscent of times when they were young. Papyrus would be upset from nightmares or school and Sans would have him sit in his lap. He would channel his magic into a tone and have Papyrus’ follow the same notes. It soothed him. It was only fair that Papyrus would do it for Sans now.

He closed his eyes. His magic coiled inside of him before slowly drawing out both of their souls. Sans shifted in his grasp but did not pull away. With a hum he wrapped his magic around Sans’ soul, setting a pace for the roiling magic within. It fought against the rhythm, wanting to stay focused on magical attacks and anger. But, with time, it slowed down to match the pace. Sans was limp in his arms as they hummed the same song, completely in tune with each other.

After a time, Papyrus opened his eyes, fading the song out and glancing at Sans. There were tear tracks on his skull, but not from tears. It had been magic. Thankfully, the flow had stopped and was in a small amount.

With a sigh of relief, he adjusted the weight of Sans’ head in his arms. He brushed a hand against Sans’ spines, hoping to reassure him further. Then, a rumble came from Sans’ chest, jolting Papyrus in surprise. But the rumble continued, almost musical in a way. Was he…purring?

Papyrus laughed quietly. Sans opened an eye and looked up and Papyrus swore he was smiling.

“Feel better?” Papyrus asked.

Sans chuffed in reply. Papyrus smiled. He jostled Sans a bit to get the big beast up out of his lap and shot to his feet.

“I think you need to be reintroduced to some friends,” Papyrus said.

One of the most important things Papyrus learned today was that Sans was loyal to a fault. He seemed to need to have an eye on Papyrus at all times. He was either watching him or following him to keep him within eyesight. It only showed just how much Sans cared about his safety. And it was cute.

Papyrus didn’t like manipulating his brother like this, it was far too much like he was treating Sans like a dog. He was much more than that. But the conflict was outweighed by the need to have Sans get along with everyone. So, Papyrus led Sans out the bedroom and down the stairs, keeping a hand on Sans’ back and his magic ready to calm him at any point and reminding himself that it was for Sans’ good.

The others were in the kitchen. Frisk and Flowey were peering at some homework while Toriel began getting dinner ready. They all looked up once they saw Papyrus. Frisk was shocked to see Sans standing beside him so obediently.

Sans started to growl softly, but Papyrus continued to reassure him as they stopped a good distance away from the others.

“Sans, it is good to see you up and about,” Toriel called, keeping her voice soft as to not startle him.

He gave Toriel a glance but seemed more intent on Frisk and Flowey. Papyrus did his best to broadcast calm and safety to his brother.

“We made lots of progress today and I thought it would be best if we had a better introduction! Since the last was…not ideal.”

Frisk nodded and with a brave face climbed out of the chair. They controlled their movements and stood a few feet away from Sans. Toriel came out from the kitchen and placed a hand on Frisk’s shoulder for comfort. They knew that if Sans tried anything both Papyrus and Toriel would be ready to defend.

Just as Papyrus started to walk towards Frisk, Sans leapt in front of him, using his body to block him from going any further. He then widened his stance and lowered his head, reminding Papyrus of a desperate of an animal protecting their children.

Realizing they weren’t going to get anywhere like this, Papyrus sidestepped Sans, turning to stand in front of Frisk. Sans looked panicked, stepping forward but seemingly unsure about how to proceed.

“There is nothing to fear,” Papyrus said, turning to Frisk and holding their hand. “No one is going to hurt you.”

Sans’ growl turned into a whimper. His eye-lights which had once been narrowed to pinpricks had enlarged, and he looked like a lost puppy. It was clear his instincts were telling him one thing while his trustworthy companion was telling him another.

Acting on impulse and determination, Papyrus knelt down and ushered Frisk to stand beside them. Then, guiding their hand, Papyrus placed it on Sans' head. He froze. But he didn’t growl. He didn’t move at all. His eye-lights flicked to Papyrus as if in a silent plea for help.

Frisk only smiled. They gently brushed his forehead once before pulling back. With a big grin they returned to their homework at the table.

The entire room breathed a sigh of relief. Toriel lifted a hand to her mouth to muffle a laugh. Papyrus gave her a quizzical look.

“Look at him,” she managed between giggles.

Sans was still frozen, looking like a deer in headlights. But it appeared that his mind had not caught up to what his body was already doing. There, between his legs, his tail was wagging.


	5. Realign

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments on the last chapter! I am going to get to them soon...hopefully. I've been working a bunch more than I thought I would which has kinda thrown off my schedule a bit, but I'm maintaining my two chapter buffer...for now. And just thought I'd note that I've never been this successful updating a story on a schedule and consistently. So thanks again for keeping me motivated with your kudos' and comments!!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

The sun was going down. The streetlights were flickering on as the people and monsters out and about returned home. A quiet evening was only just beginning.

The small family had already eaten their dinner and had settled into their living area. Flowey fought Frisk for control of the TV while Toriel sat in a loveseat, reading a book. The couch had been taken up completely by Papyrus and Sans. Sans was stretched out as best as he could across it, leaving Papyrus with a single cushion of space. Not that Papyrus minded. He longed to have the remote to watch Mettaton’s channel but was content watching the children argue.

He stroked Sans’ head in his lap. Sans huffed. He had been grumpy ever since Frisk had pet him. He refused to eat (again) and only watched from the couch with a steady glare at Papyrus.

After all that had happened over the last two days, they finally reached a settled state. That is, until the door slammed open.

Undyne burst in with a yell, causing Sans to jump to his feet with a surprised hiss. He hastily extracted himself from Papyrus’ clutches and turned around to face the intruder. After her grand entrance, Undyne immediately winced apologetically.

“Uhhh, whoops?” She offered, only to be given a stern glare from Toriel.

Sans was still in alert mode, but he didn’t make any move to attack. Papyrus laid a calming hand on his back. Thankfully, his body laxed and only gave Undyne a single prolonged hiss before resettling himself on Papyrus’ lap.

Alphys scampered in moments later, gauging the reactions of those around her. She sighed.

“Undyne, that’s the f-fifth time this w-week.”

Undyne visibly slumped at the reprimanding from her girlfriend. “I know, I’m working on it…”

Alphys smiled then stood as tall as she could to give a tentative kiss on Undyne’s cheek.

She brightened, turning to give Alphys a more elaborate kiss before hearing Toriel clear her throat.

“As much as I love seeing you promote a healthy relationship, could you first please explain your presence here?”

“Ah, right,” Undyne said with a sheepish grin. “Babe? You wanna tell them?”

Alphys became giddy with excitement. “I think I’ve found a way to turn Sans back!!!”

Papyrus jolted to a stand, Sans gracelessly falling off him with a yelp. “Really?”

Alphys nodded vigorously, gesturing to her bag. “I spent all last night a-and today working on it b-but I’m p-positive it will work!”

Papyrus laughed, running forward and scooping Alphys up in a swinging hug. “Oh Alphys, thank you! You wonderful, brilliant, incredible, miracle worker!”

Alphys laughed nervously. “It’s no p-problem, really.”

“Not to be a downer, but perhaps we could go over the details of this ‘miracle’?” Toriel asked.

“O-of course! Uh, Papyrus c-could you p-put me down, maybe?”

“Oh, right.” He stopped swinging her and let her down gently.

She paused for a moment to get her bearings and then rushed to her bag.

“Y-you see,” she said as she riffled through her bag, “I was looking through Sans’ m-medical records and f-found out that his magic capacity is incredibly high! Way over a-any amount I’ve seen in any monster or even Boss monster. So, I thought it might be something related to his m-magic. He was dripping magic when w-we found him, right?” Alphys found what she was looking for and held it out. A syringe.

“I did some research and discovered that it’s a common thing in kids to have overloading magic. Too much for them to possibly control. And for them we always would j-just block their magic to a level they could handle, allowing them t-time to practice with a small amount until they can control it.

“So, I took that serum and just kind of…amplified it? Otherwise it wouldn’t affect an adult monster like Sans. If we block his magic, it will stop it from going haywire and force him to revert to his natural body that doesn’t need as much magic.”

Alphys nervously tapped her claws together, suddenly aware of the lengthy explanation she gave. Her listeners looked stunned.

“Uh, did you…g-get any of that?”

Toriel shook herself out of her trance. “I believe so. Correct me if I am wrong, but you are saying that the cause of the problem is Sans’ magic. Your solution involves using a serum to block his magic off, so he changes back.”

“Um, yes that is th-the gist of it,” Alphys confirmed.

“What are we waiting for then?” Undyne said, swiping the syringe from Alphys’ claws, and holding it up high. “Let’s get this over with!”

“Un-Undyne!” Alphys shrieked. “Pl-please be careful! This is going to be a d-difficult process, we can’t just r-rush it!”

“Alphys is right,” Papyrus stepped in. “I do not wish my brother to be overly harmed in the process.” He paused. “Well, more than he already is.”

“I-I just want to say,” Alphys said, beginning to sweat. “I c-couldn’t do anything a-about the…the ch- the transformation. I think i-it’s still going to be as b-bad as last time.”

The group sobered. Papyrus looked at Sans who had gone and laid on the couch again. He watched the others with a careful eye, though looked almost half asleep. Papyrus did not want his brother to experience the same awful change once more. It was bad enough once.

He took in a breath and released it slowly. He turned to the others. “If it gets my brother back to normal then I think it will be worth it.”

Frisk jumped forward, drawing their attention. “And we know what happens now, so we can be prepared.”

Toriel smiled fondly and ruffled their hair. “Ever the optimist. But you are correct. We can prepare, and we should. If this can be done tonight, then we will do what we must to make it happen.”

Papyrus nodded. He looked at Alphys and with conviction said, “where do we start?”

 

* * *

 

The sun had completely set by the time they were ready. They had decided to have Sans change outside to minimize the damage to Toriel’s house. She did not mind in the least as it wasn’t something that could be helped, but the others agreed it was necessary.

The outdoor lights were lit and displayed a quiet scene. The backyard was a significant size and was backed against a park which meant they need not worry as much with neighbours. If need be Undyne could talk to them and explain the gist of the situation.

Undyne and Papyrus were sitting on the lawn with Sans, doing their best to calm him down. He seemed to pick up something was happening, and though he was not aggressive, was still exuding magic at an alarming rate. Papyrus could do little more than mop up the mess. They were waiting on Alphys who was inside, double checking her serum.

Toriel was nervous. She had been alone and helpless last time; not knowing what was happening or what to do to help. This time she felt far more prepared with her family behind her and a plan in mind, but still her stomach twisted. She knew she could not stop Frisk participating and that only worried her more. With how Sans had been acting towards her child she did not want them around when everything happened. Toriel offered a compromise where she would allow Frisk to help and watch but that they must be beside her at all times. That was where they were now, holding Toriel’s hand and with Flowey’s pot resting on the patio table.

“I don’t know why you are even bothering with this,” he said. “That trashbag is much better like this.”

“Flowey!” Toriel scolded.

“You don’t have to even be here, weed,” Undyne snarled as she spun to face Flowey.

“Now Undyne that is also not-“

“Don’t defend him! He’s being an ass-“

“Please!” Frisk said loudly, their voice straining but still causing everyone to stop. They then continued, signing, “can we please focus on Sans?”

Toriel rested her hand on Frisk’s head. She was always proud of her child and this moment proved their strength and compassion. She was suddenly grateful for having allowed them to join them.

Flowey grumbled while Undyne looked thoroughly chastised.

“I’m sorry, Frisk,” Undyne said. “You are right, we are all tense, but that does not excuse us for ignoring the real problem here.”

Just as she said that, Alphys opened the sliding screen door and shuffled over. She carried her bag close to her chest as she joined the others on the lawn.

“R-ready?” She asked.

“As we’ll ever be,” Undyne shrugged.

Alphys nodded and then handed the bag to Undyne.

They had decided it would be best to muzzle Sans once more, even though it was a horrid thing to do. They could not risk injury of anyone, including Sans himself. Alphys hid the ropes in her bag to conceal it, no one really knowing how Sans would react to seeing the rope again. She gave the bag to Undyne knowing she would be the best one to deal with him.

Papyrus positioned himself in front of Sans, kneeling on the grass. He kept his eyes on Sans’ and held his hands on his large skull, both as assurance and to prevent him from jerking away. His fingers curled on the back of his skull in what was probably an uncomfortable sensation for Sans. Undyne dropped the bag on the ground, hastily unzipping the contents and pulled out the rope.

Sans immediately balked, but Papyrus held onto his skull. He hissed, jerking away to try and slip through Papyrus’ grasp. In one swift motion, Papyrus straddled Sans’ neck, shoving his head down into the ground. He gave Undyne a nod.

She gathered the rope and wrapped it around in practiced motions. Toriel watched, hand grasping Frisk’s as Undyne knotted the rope with a final yank. She then took a step back, turning Sans’ soul green to hold him in place.

“Alphy?” She called.

“R-right!” Alphys said, jerking herself out of a trance and went to the same bag to get the serum. She pulled out the syringe. Her hands shook.

“Okay, I’m just gonna need a clean shot of h-his soul to in-inject him,” she said as she approached the snarling monster.

His soul was in his ribcage, making it harder to get a good look at it. Alphys carefully, rested a clawed hand on some of his ribs and examined the area. Toriel could see Sans’ claws dig deep into the soil as Alphys took a deep breath and then reached a hand into his ribcage. He continued to snarl and hiss but could do nothing about the inquiring hands resting on him. He was trapped, and he clearly hated it.

Alphys grasped his soul with one hand and then carefully guided the syringe towards it. Even from a distance Toriel could see Sans shudder. Having your soul directly touched was normally not a bad experience, but with the clinical way Alphys was handling his soul it was bound to be unpleasant.

“Here goes nothing,” Alphys muttered and slid the syringe home.

Sans flinched, his eye sockets going black. Then, Alphys pushed the plunger.

His whole body froze. Alphys waited a tick and then removed the syringe, scurrying away from him. And just in time as Sans let loose a whine before his body began to shake.

Papyrus leaped from his perch on his brother and quickly gathered Sans’ head into his lap, stroking it soothingly. Undyne held his soul still, preventing him from moving much but he still managed to throw his claws and tail around.

The whine from his mouth grew to a full-on wail, a wounded and terrified noise. That was when the others could see his body begin to shrink. His tail unfurled and started to recede into him, his spine beginning to lose its sharpness. He was thrashing his claws still, catching Papyrus’ arms and face, though the skeleton did not flinch.

Toriel and Frisk both moved to help, but Undyne stopped them, throwing an arm out before they could get too close.

“Papyrus can handle it,” Undyne said under her breath, her voice almost being drowned out by Sans’ wail. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Toriel could only watch as Sans’ bones began to crack and realign. His tail was much shorter, and his skull was rounding out once more. His front legs were started to look more like arms while his chest and pelvic regions continued to shrink. All the while, Papyrus held his skull, whispering to him. Toriel’s heart clenched. Papyrus was crying.

The process was horrible to watch. Sans could barely move through the green soul effect Undyne applied on him, but he was clearly trying to. His legs were digging into the earth, scuffing up chunks of dirt and grass. His head kept trying to escape Papyrus’ hold; he even resorted to digging into Papyrus’ forearms.

But though it was an agonizing process, it began to slow. Somewhere along the way Sans’ wail turned to something more like whimpers. They were beginning to sound less and less animalistic as the transformation went on.

Toriel flinched as his spinal processes grew closer together almost feeling the cracks through her very bones as they rang out around her. His shape was resembling his normal self, though his claws and skull were still sharp and angular.

With his form being in a much more manageable state, Papyrus easily adjusted him to fit in his arms. Sans’ claws resumed gripping his brother’s forearms, though they could see them steadily shrinking. They all watched with rapt attention as the final changes rippled through his body. His teeth finally lost their sharpness and shrunk to fit back in his jaw

And suddenly, he was Sans again. Undyne released his soul and Papyrus held him tight, his body finally going completely limp. He was unconscious, hopefully knocked out during the last few changes to save him some of that pain.

Everyone else was in a stunned silence. Frisk gently released Toriel’s hand and ran towards the two skeletons, eager to help. Toriel broke from her stillness and followed behind, readying her magic to heal either of them.

It was good that she was there, because Papyrus’ arms were scratched raw. Deep gouges and sharp cuts lined his arms.

“Papyrus-“

“Him first,” he said before she could finish. His arms were shaking and his eyes were still teary. “Just…just in case. Please.”

She nodded in sad acquiescence, knowing he would not budge on this matter. There were few visible marks on his body, but he was undoubtedly in pain. Her magic burst to life in the form of green flames. They licked Sans’ body gently, healing the aches and pains throughout. After a time, she moved to Papyrus, healing his scars to just thin lines across his bones.

Papyrus slumped with relief, finally allowing himself to rest. Toriel placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Do you need a hand?” She offered.

He shook his head. “I have carried him to bed enough times, I can do it another.”

With that he stood on shaky but still strong legs and gently carried his brother indoors. With them gone Toriel could take in the others. Undyne and Alphys looked similarly exhausted.

“It is late,” Toriel said, her voice suddenly seeming too loud. “You are welcome to stay the night. You can take the couch, if that is all right?”

“Yeah that’s fine. I think we’ll sleep just about anywhere,” she said with a small laugh. “Thank you.”

“Sleep as much as you need, I think we are all do for some much-needed rest.”

Together, they gathered their things and went inside. Everyone was quiet as they readied for bed. She could hear Flowey talking in his and Frisk’s bedroom, but it was muffled. Toriel set Undyne and Alphys up on the couch with sheets, blankets and pillows before she too turned in for the night.

She lingered outside Sans’ bedroom, knowing both brothers were likely to be sharing a bed for the night. Her soul was tired but hopeful. After what they had just been through she could only hope that things were finally back to normal.

With that she went to sleep, dreaming of sad skeletal beasts and blue and yellow magic.


	6. Unease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy am I glad I had a chapter already finished. This month was wild and I hardly had time to write what with my bestie's wedding, applying for jobs and regular work. I'm hoping I will have more time this summer since I won't have work so here's hoping I can churn out two more chapters as buffers. Pray for me.
> 
> Anyways this chapter was finally one I actually enjoyed writing. Last few have been me just pushing myself to finishing but this one was fun!! Hope you guys enjoy! It's only gonna get more complicated from here.
> 
> Oh yeah! And I added chapter titles because it was bothering me that they didn't have names. So check them out if you want?

Sans could feel himself beginning to wake up. It was a pull on his consciousness; something in him urgently begging him to awaken. But he was tired. The bed was comfy. He wanted to sleep forever.

Unfortunately for him his body was insistent. All at once pain hit him and he clenched his eyes shut against it. Every part of him ached in a horrible chorus of pain. He unconsciously tightened his hands into fists and that shot a new wave of pain up his arms.

Desperate for release, he opened his eyes, hoping for someone to explain why he was in such agonizing pain. But his searching revealed nothing and all he could do was curl up and try to weather the agony as best as he could.

It was hard to focus past it, but some small part of him couldn’t help but wonder why he hurt so bad. He couldn’t remember the past few days. His mind was completely blank. Almost as if it were…wiped clean.

With a start, he jerked into a sitting position. A RESET. It explained his absent memories, but not the pain. He took stock of his surroundings, realizing quickly that he was not in Snowdin. He was on the surface. His soul steadied with that realization. But there could have been a RELOAD. He wouldn’t know for sure since he too lost his memories, but it could very well have happened.

He wouldn’t know until he gathered information about the past few days and to do that he would need to go downstairs. He gazed at the door that felt so far away. It was a daunting task. But he could do it. He had played off RESETs before just by being the same old Sans everyone thought he was. No one would notice something was off. He just needed to play the part.

He gathered himself up and got to his feet. His bones groaned with the effort, but he stubbornly refused to give in. This was important, he had been through worse.

Now that he was standing he realized the door wasn’t looking quite right. In fact, it was missing a large chunk of it. As curious as it was, Sans had a one-track mind. He’d figure out what happened once he got downstairs.

After a few steps he got into a rhythm. His smile was strained but could be passed off as normal. If he kept up appearances he’d soon know what had happened. He kept that in mind as he opened what was left of the door and stepped into the hallway.

 

* * *

 

They were waiting for him. It was early in the morning; 8 o’clock. They didn’t really expect him to be coming down any time soon. Toriel had made a generous breakfast of pancakes and eggs, but the conversation was dismal. No one really knew what to say after what had happened last night. They just waited.

But Sans was awake, and they all stared at him as he walked down the stairs, like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn't been unconscious after being forcibly transformed from a dangerous creature back to normal.

“’Morning,” he said with a yawn. He continued his walk down and sauntered up, ignoring the stunned looks. “Last night sure was crazy, huh?”

A pause, then Papyrus ventured forward. “Yes…it was.”

“Don’t remember much of it, though. We have a party or something?” He went to the kitchen and began brewing some coffee. “The door looks like it’s been through the ringer.”

Everyone struggled to form any semblance of wording and understanding. They followed his movements with nothing but blank stares.

“Sans,” Toriel finally gathered her thoughts. “Are you…alright?”

He frowned for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with an amiable grin. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

The only sound was the coffee dripping its contents into his mug.

“S-Sans…y-you…you were…” Alphys tapped her claws, trying to convey her meaning.

“You turned into a giant bone demon!” Undyne yelled, slamming both her hands on the table and jumping to her feet.

Sans laughed. “Heh, I know my dance moves can get a little wild…”

“Ngahh!” Undyne dragged her hands down the side of her face. “Someone needs to give you a good knocking on that skull of yours and it may as well be me!” She made as if to charge at him but was stopped by Alphys’ gentle but firm grip.

“Sans, would you please sit down?” Toriel said calmly, getting out of her chair and guiding Sans from the kitchen to the couch.

“Dunno why but sure, I’m always down to chill.”

“You do not…remember?” Toriel asked once they were all seated.

Sans frowned. “’M not sure what I’m supposed to be remembering.”

She sighed, then gathered herself up. “Two days ago, I found you on the floor in this living room, exuding magic and unable to move. You had no knowledge of what was happening and expressed so quite frantically to me. I brought you to your room only for you to throw up more magic. Your body was…changing.” She paused, giving Sans a hard look. “You still cannot remember?”

His smile looked strained as he looked down, not focusing on anything in front of him. Eventually, he raised his head and shook it.

Papyrus frowned. He gently wrapped his arm around his brother. “Sans?” he asked softly.

“I’m…fine,” he said. “Just give me a minute.”

They entered into a tense silence. No one dared to speak; just waiting on Sans to process the information as best as he could. Hoping that he wouldn’t brush this off like he did so many other things.

“So, this is why you’re all here, then?” he spoke finally.

Toriel nodded.

“Y-you were uh, quiet a h-handful,” Alphys added.

Sans frowned. “You’re going to have to spell this out for me.”

The room went quiet. Toriel looked to Alphys, who was tapping her claws and squirming in her seat. She took a deep breath and released it.

“Okay, so, you kind of, um, turned into a v-very large and v-very scary dragon-dog thing??” She giggled nervously. “Undyne, P-Papyrus and I only got here a-after it all had happened. Y-you didn’t recognize any of us and attacked Undyne and Toriel, b-but! Papyrus c-calmed you down enough to sleep and stuff. I did s-some, uh, tests of your magic to s-see what exactly ch-changed in your makeup to make you, uh, change? I’m still not q-quite sure what happened but we managed to get you back to n-normal last night.” She stopped, realizing she was rambling and blushed. She continued, more quietly, “I can g-give you the details l-later…”

Toriel nodded, thanking Alphys quietly. Then she looked at Sans. He was keeping a careful latch on his emotions, but the confusion and shock were still there. He was quiet for a beat or two longer than the others but when he came out of it, he looked…different. The shock was gone, hidden away like it was bad to have it revealed. Toriel watched in concern as he gave an empty smile.

“Well, it’s over now, ain’t it?” The others looked confused. “Then it doesn’t matter. Everything can go back to normal.”

“But Sans-“ Alphys started.

He flashed her a stern look, startling Alphys before it faded into something like fake cheerfulness. “It’s done. Nothing to worry about. So, what’s for breaky?”

He stood and went to the kitchen. Papyrus looked on with worry etched on his face. But eventually, he too hid that away and followed his brother.

“You better not be thinking about eating cereal out of the box again!” He called. “That is extremely unsanitary.”

Undyne heaved a sigh and gave Toriel a long look. Toriel nodded in response, knowing there was little they could do to keep the two skeletons from pretending everything was fine. It seemed to be their default. Toriel knew Undyne would keep an eye on Papyrus and so she was to keep an eye on Sans. It was something they knew they could do. One of the only things they felt like would help, at least somewhat.

Undyne and Alphys sat back at the table, ushering Frisk and Flowey to join them. It left Toriel alone for the moment and she sat quietly, wondering what she could do to try and convince Sans to not only accept what had happened, but move forward in a way that wasn’t harmful for him. She knew him well enough to know he would just rather not deal with it. So, he would pretend he was fine and this event in his life would just be another thing to repress.

This was a moment where she wondered just what those two brothers had gone through to make them this way. But it wasn’t something she would linger on; there were conversations to be had. She steeled herself. She would wait until the moment was right.

 

* * *

 

The rest of their Saturday was spent in a strange sort of tension. Sans hated the looks they would give him, but any time they looked to bring something up he would deflect. He didn’t want them lingering on something that was clearly in the past. He didn’t really want to think about it either. At least, not yet. Once he was alone he would theorize and pick apart the implications. But not yet.

Undyne and Alphys clearly wanted to stay longer, but Papyrus insisted they get some real rest at their own home. They left in the afternoon, insisting that they would be over tomorrow, the unsaid reason hanging in the air uncomfortably.

Papyrus suggested going to the park, since it was such a nice day. Frisk dragged Flowey along, eager to enjoy the day. Sans had declined, saying he was too tired for a long walk (which was true. His bones still ached, and his soul was hurting his chest, but he ignored the look Papyrus gave him and said he was just being a lazy bones.) Toriel, too, declined, saying she was wanting to “bake”. Sans knew better.

It was obvious she was wanting to talk to him. They had been friends long enough for Sans to know when she was trying to get him to confess something.

The barrier had broken months ago, and just now things were settling down. For a while there it had been tense and monsters were unsure of their place in society. But Frisk took their job seriously, and with Asgore and Toriel’s help, managed to ease the worries of both human and monsterkind. They obtained rights for monsters along with new policies and privileges. It wasn’t perfect, racism was always going to be a fact of life, but at least monsters could buy homes, work jobs and go to school.

Sans and Papyrus were initially going to live on their own; rent a small apartment close to the nearby university so Papyrus could go to school for engineering. But Frisk begged them to live together, and that was that. Papyrus was currently working at the school Toriel ran as a make-shift counselor. Though he did more than that, of course. And Sans…well, Sans was getting by on odd jobs. Old habits die hard. Soon though, Papyrus would go to the college he dreamed of, but for now they were all content.

Living together had been a strange thing at first. Both Toriel and Papyrus loved cooking, though Papyrus’ skills weren’t exactly the same as Toriel’s. There had been plenty of “family meetings” where they would organize chores and responsibilities of the household. With the more recent addition of Flowey it got more complicated. But it worked. Toriel taught Papyrus new skills and Papyrus took his and Sans’ babysitting role very seriously.

It also meant that Sans and Toriel spent a lot more time together. It had been euphoric at first. A kind of friend he had never had before. And it still was. But Sans realized quickly that Toriel was learning things about him he didn’t want her to know. She was far too clever for her own good. Sans didn’t want to delve into deep feelings and life stories. He wanted it to just be a surface-level friendship. But Toriel was determined.

And it was more obvious than ever now.

True to her word, Toriel began to prepare a pie. She was humming to herself in the kitchen while Sans tried to decide where he could hide best from her. He knew he could try teleporting, but his magic wasn’t sitting right with him and he didn’t want to risk it.

Eventually he decided it was probably best to remain in his room. The door didn’t offer the most privacy, but the confines of his room felt safe nonetheless. He had holed himself up in there enough times that it wouldn’t be weird.

He silently treaded the stairs, giving the door to his room a wince. The others didn’t say exactly what had happened, but he had an idea of why there was a large hole in it. Even stepping into his room with new knowledge gave him a different perspective on what had happened. His bed sheets and blankets had obvious claw marks that he hadn't noticed and there were scuff marks on the carpet.

With a sigh he approached his desk. It a mess, just like everything else in his room. And he rarely actually used it. He grabbed a notepad and pencil from the black hole of candy wrappers and paper and flopped onto his bed. He flipped it open, wondering where even to start.

Maybe it was good to start with the facts.

 

> \- Magic acting up/absent
> 
> \- Soul pains
> 
> \- Bones hurt, particularly the skull, hands and feet.
> 
> \- Two days of missing memories

He paused. Could he remember anything from before shit went down? He idly doodled in his journal, sending his mind back, trying to pinpoint any memory at all. He could vaguely recall working, and then walking back. And maybe a misfired teleport? Maybe he could-

A hand rested on his shoulder and the led of his pencil snapped. He pointedly didn’t startle, instead he chuckled.

“Tori, heh didn’t see you there. You startled me, but that was pretty pointless of me, huh?”

His response was a laughter muffled by Toriel’s hand on her mouth. She sat down across from him on the bed.

“Oh Sans, you just weren’t looking sharp!”

“Come on, Tori, you’re just drawing this out.”

The dissolved into mutual fits of chuckles. The tension was eased as they settled into their natural rhythm. It was always easier to make jokes than to start a conversation you weren’t sure how to finish.

Toriel’s smile turned gentle as she gave him a good look. If it wasn’t Toriel who was giving him that look, he’d have the impression he was being scrutinized. But it was Toriel, and she was only looking at him with concern. It seemed to be a common look lately.

“Sans,” she started but then halted, only now noticing the words on Sans’ notepad. He tried to nonchalantly flip the cover closed before she had a good look, but she wasn’t fooled. “Taking notes?”

“Its what scientists do best.”

“I was not aware of your…scientific background.”

“Eh, I just dabbled.”

He was trying hard to look her in the face, too appear natural and calm. Like he wasn’t hiding something. But his eyes darted away, refusing to look at her for longer than a moment.

“Are you…alright?” She said, almost tentatively.

He did his best not to frown. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Sans, I know you are avoiding everything- everyone- on purpose.” It wasn’t much of a surprise that she knew, and yet he felt shaken all the same. “You can tell me anything.”

No. He just wanted some time alone; some time to think about things before he was bombarded with concern. But she hadn’t given him that time. And he was scrambling for excuses. He didn’t want her to think too hard about this. He didn’t want anyone to. It was something he’d work through on his own. He didn’t need anyone else.

“Tori-” he said, exasperated. “Really, I’m fine. Don’t worry about this old bag of bones, alright?”

She was silent, turning her face away to look sadly at the door. He winced.

“I worry nonetheless.”

He sighed. “I just need to think about some things. I only just woke up- I need some time to myself, y’know?”

He was coming across too harsh, he knew that. But he didn’t want her prying, at least for a while. But a small part of him worried she’d hate him for pushing her away. One could only take so much pushing before they gave up.

A resigned look passed across her face. She turned to him with a small smile, miniscule compared to the gentler one from earlier, and nodded. “I understand. I will leave you be.”

She stood, brushing non-existent fluff from her attire and walked away. Only pausing for a moment before she left his room.

And though this was what he had wanted, he couldn’t help but feel his soul ache.


	7. Space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been so long i am so freakin sorry. i did not intend on waiting this long to post a chapter but my motivation went out the window during the summer and then when fall came i realized i just couldn't maintain a scheduled chapter posting and i just....gave up i guess.
> 
> SO i ended up not writing anything and then nanowrimo came up and figured it would be perfect to get my butt into gear and finally write some damn words! buuut well....good news and bad news. good news is that i did write a heck of a lot. not 50,000 words but a significant chunk of the story. bad news....i got stuck. real bad. i reached a point where i realized i didn't know how i wanted everything to wrap up. which is probably not what you want to hear from an author at any point. 
> 
> BUT!! i took a step back and started plotting more. and i still need more time but i feel better about where i am than before. i kinda needed to reach that point i guess. and now that ive passed it _hopefully_ i can iron out the structure of the ending of the story and actually write the thing. 
> 
> it doesn't mean i'll be able to post regularly but it _does_ mean im not giving up on this fic. it will be completed. i just need a bit of a breather before i dive back in. im writing other fics on the side to keep my brain from tunneling and my creative mind thinking while not being too time consuming.
> 
> so tl;dr: i wrote a lot, got stuck and am now unstucking myself by plotting the story better. i won't be posting regularly anymore, unfortunately.
> 
> i hope you guys are still interested in this story...and thanks if you've been waiting at all. i really appreciate the support i've gotten so far.

“Papyrus!”

He startled, shaken out of his reverie with such force he almost stumbled backwards. Only then did he notice he had completely stopped pushing Frisk and Flowey on the swing.

“Ah, I apologize. I was merely lost in thought.” He gave them a hearty push, but Frisk immediately dragged their feet in the gravel. “Frisk? What’s wrong?”

Flowey gave a frustrated groan. “They – fine – _we’re_ worried about you.”

Frisk spun around in the swing to face Papyrus a worried frown on their face.

“Friends, there is nothing to worry about,” he posed with an exaggerated grin on his face. “The Great Papyrus is always worry-free!”

“That’s not true,” Frisk signed with a tilt to their head. “We know you’re thinking about Sans.”

“Why, it is only fair for me to be concerned about my brother after all that has happened. But that is nothing for you to worry about my small friends!”

Flowey rolled his eyes. “It’s clearly eating at you. Just tell us already! Frisk isn’t going to let this go, you know.”

Frisk nodded vigorously. Papyrus grabbed a hold of the other swing, plopping himself down neatly beside Frisk and Flowey.

“It really isn’t anything you need to be concerned about. I will talk with my brother and everything will go back to normal.”

“You know, you sound just like Sans when you say that.”

He flinched. His shoulders drooped.

“You _really_ don’t wanna be like him, do you?” Flowey said, his voice turning vicious. “Lazy, good-for-nothing, never telling anyone anything ever-“

Frisk slapped their hand over his mouth. He hissed and bit at their hand, but they didn’t budge.

But Papyrus was frozen. His mind lost in thought once more. He really didn’t want to be like Sans, did he? But here he was, avoiding conversation just so he could keep everything to himself. He wasn’t all that better than Sans.

“Papyrus,” Frisk said, voice clear and ringing through Papyrus’ head. He focused on them, their face full of kindness. “Don’t listen to Flowey, he’s just being mean. We just want you to tell us how you’re doing.”

“I…” he said, Flowey’s words still running through his head. “I understand. Thank you.”

They smiled and released their hold on Flowey. He grumbled, spitting out the taste of human skin onto the ground and fidgeting in Frisk’s grasp.

“I was just being honest,” he said with a pout, folding his leaves like arms.

“It’s alright Flowey! I know you were just trying to help.”

“Whatever,” he mumbled.

“Well, Papyrus?” Frisk signed, prompting Papyrus.

He fiddled with his gloves, unsure what to say. He was talking to these two children about very real problems and he didn’t want to overwhelm them. But Frisk had a habit of being a problem-solver in the Underground. It wasn’t much different up here.

So, he took a deep breath and then launched into his worries. His fears that Sans would never open up to him, or anyone. His worry that there wasn’t anything he could do to help. His fear that this was too big of a problem for anyone to deal with. Even his deepest fear of it all happening again.

There was a lot of worry he held inside, he realized. And it was good to let it out. Frisk was a wonderful listener, only interjecting with pointed questions or comments that helped Papyrus to gather his thoughts better.

Around them the sun was at its zenith and beginning to bore down on them with excessive heat. Papyrus suggested they go for some nice cream and they darted off in excitement. He felt so much freer. He hadn’t said everything to them, but nonetheless it was helpful. Maybe after some time away from the situation he could come back and feel ready to talk to Sans. But for now, he sprinted towards the nice cream man and enjoyed the sunshine.

\---

Sans didn’t end up coming down for lunch. Or dinner. Or at all, really. Toriel was worried. She figured he would need some time alone but skipping so many meals after being drained could not be helpful. Still, she told him she’d give him space, even if that meant pushing away her instincts.

Papyrus, Frisk and Flowey were out most of the day. They returned for lunch with remnants of nice cream on their faces and Toriel didn’t have the heart to scold them. They ate sandwiches and watched some cartoons, all three of them seemingly enjoying the Saturday afternoon.

She did not mention to Papyrus that Sans had shut her out so completely. He seemed to be back to his energetic self and she did not want to ruin that. Instead she encouraged them to go back outside and enjoy the sun while she planned material for her classes next week. It made the day go by that much faster. And still Sans had yet to come out of his room.

Dinner was simple and easy. Spaghetti. Papyrus voiced his concern about Sans and she set aside some food for him if he ever came down. The trio curled up on the couch for some evening popcorn and Disney movies. It was then that Toriel decided she would check up on Sans.

As she went upstairs she noticed the door was “fixed” if she could even call it that. A strip of a sheet had been taped to door, covering the hole. It did nothing but keep Sans’ room from being easily seen. But she supposed that was all that he wanted.

She knocked gently on the door as she slowly opened it. The room was dark, save for the light coming in from the opened window. And Sans was absent. It sent a surge of fear straight up her throat, but she clenched down on it, preventing it from overriding her common sense. He probably wanted some more space. And where would he go to achieve that?

As she pondered, she approached the window, intending to close it but something caught her eye. She stuck her head out the window, ignoring the oddity of it and her eyes caught sight of a small skeleton on the roof, just out of reach.

“Sans!” She said in surprise, but he didn’t react.

He was turned away from her, on the slope of the roof from the garage. It didn’t look like he was asleep, but she could never tell with him. She longed to join him, but she would never manage to get herself through the window and over to him with her stature.

“Sans, what are you doing out there?” She called again.

She saw his shoulders shrug. “Thinking.”

“You can do your thinking inside too, you know,” she said, a hint of humour in her voice.

He shrugged again.

Toriel released a sigh, adjusting herself so she could lean against the window sill comfortably. She began looking past the rows of houses and on to the sun as it slowly set. The colours were beautiful. It never ceased to amaze her. She wondered if that was why Sans was on the roof.

“I am sorry if I pushed you too hard, my friend,” she said softly. “It was never my intent to overwhelm you.”

“I know.”

She traced her eyes around his form, noticing now how he must be getting cold.

“Why not come inside and we can talk over some coffee?” She offered hesitantly.

His shoulders drooped, and he looked defeated, even if she could only see his back. She could sense his exhaustion. It hadn’t been long since he transformed back, and he had barely eaten anything all day.

“How about I meet you outside,” she offered, hoping to meet him halfway. “I will make us some coffee and sit on the back porch. You can come whenever you like.”

She didn’t hesitate and left the room. Her hope was that if it was on his terms he would come, instead of forcing him to have a conversation he didn’t want to have. She paused for a moment, realizing that sounded an awful lot like a cat’s temperament. Toriel giggled to herself as she started to make them coffee.

The children were watching what looked like a favourite of Frisk’s; Monsters, Inc.  Flowey was playing a game on his gaming device that involved fighting little monsters against each other. Toriel did not approve but Frisk insisted it was a friendly competitive game. Papyrus had Frisk on his lap with a bowl of almost finished popcorn between them and Flowey. They seemed thoroughly distracted.

Once the pot of coffee was finished, she poured the coffee into two mugs (“7 days without a pun makes one weak” and “Don’t make me use my teacher voice.” Both gifts from Frisk) and exited through the sliding door to the patio.

Toriel was left alone with her thoughts, sipping her coffee and watching the evening skies from the porch. The door behind her lurched open suddenly and she jumped in surprise.

Sans was standing right behind her with his hands in his pockets. He immediately looked apologetic.

“Ah, sorry, my bad.”

Toriel let out a surprised laugh, a hand over her chest as she recovered. “It is only fair after how I startled you this morning.”

A smile adorned his face and he laughed. “Yeah, I guess we’re even.” He joined her, sitting down on the edge of the porch with a slump. She passed him his mug though he only held it in silence.

“Are you sure you do not want something to eat?” Toriel asked.

“Don’t think I could stomach it,” Sans said with a small smirk.

She eyed him. “Alright, if you are certain.”

A comfortable silence grew between them. Toriel focused on the fleeting clouds and darkening skies. She stole a glance at Sans to see him looking at the ground. He seemed lost in thought.

“I know you are not alright-“

“It’s not much of a secret at this point,” he interrupted, his voice monotone and so very tired.

She sighed, sipping from her coffee before replying, “I am glad that is the case. It has been too long since you were honest about how you are emotionally.”

He seemed to ignore her remark, his face not reacting in any way to the pointed comment.  Instead he spoke up again,

“You ever wish things could go back to the way they used to be?” He held his mug tightly between his hands. “Something more predictable and simpler. When you knew what to expect and didn’t have to think too much.”

“Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a child. Decisions were made for me and all I had to focus on was my schoolwork and worrying about what I would wear the next day,” Toriel admitted, a fond smile on her face.

Sans nodded distractedly, not really taking in anything she was saying. “Y’know, when I woke up I thought we were back Underground.” Toriel turned to him her nostalgia melting into concern. “I didn’t even realize that I wasn’t until I didn’t recognize the bed I was in. And I couldn’t remember anything that had happened the days before this whole thing happened. I walked down those stairs not knowing anything. But honestly,” he laughed humourlessly, “that was far more preferable to how I feel now.”

Toriel felt her heart sink. Just this small admission, giving her an insight on what was going on in his mind was more than she had hoped for. And she was glad he had said these things. But how could she respond to something like that? She had no idea how it felt, to waking up without memories of the past week, to having to be content filling in the gaps with what others told you. It was like an alcoholic relapse, only this wasn’t something he could work on getting better. He didn’t know if he could _trust himself_.

She set her mug down and wrapped an arm around Sans’ shoulders, pulling him closer to her. He let it happen, his phalanges still wrapped like claws around his mug. It didn’t look like he had drunk any of it.

“There is nothing that I can say that can make this any better but know that we are all here for you. _I_ am here for you.”

He slumped into her, exhausted. He seemed spent of all energy, finally worn out from keeping to himself all day. She simply held him, hoping her words and the little comfort she could give him was enough.

Inside she could hear Papyrus getting the kids ready for bed and a wave of gratitude washed over her. She waited in silence until she could no longer hear their chatter and then gently took the small, half-asleep skeleton into her arms. She put him to bed, knowing he would not care about sleeping in his own clothes. She rested a hand on his cheek as he drifted to sleep. Without thinking, she kissed his forehead and only after realized what she had done, blushing frantically at what had seemed so automatic. Thankfully, he was already passed out and she heaved a sigh of relief.

The mugs were left outside, along with their thoughts, everyone in the household peacefully drifting off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> soo really self-indulgent but i was inspired by [topazshadowwolf's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TopazShadowwolf/pseuds/TopazShadowwolf) soriel gb au stories and ive been writing this off and on for a while. knowing me it'll take a while to ever finish but ive held interest for many months now so finishing it is likely (hopefully)!
> 
> feedback would be great!!


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